Sleepers
by HopeSproutsWings
Summary: When Harry was born, Dumbledore put Remus and Sirius into an ageless sleep so they could protect him when he truly needed it. Fifteen years later, they wake up and bring hope to the new wizard war. Rated T for gory transformations and language from Sirius
1. Eternal

**Okay, so I'll admit that my dad forced me to watch the HP movies and I pretended to hate them just to spite him. But I kinda fell in love with the concept of the marauders and how Remus basically had two overbearing brothers. One day, I realized **_**Hey, why don't I give Harry a family? Poor guy needs one.**_** Because, come on! Who would we be without our parents? **

**Disclaimer: Not mine, or Wormtail would have died so much sooner… Oh, and I haven't read the books so help me out, readers!**

Chapter one: We Choose…

It was almost scary, how similar this situation was to he actually went to Hogwarts. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were both feeling rather awkward sitting in front of Professor Dumbledore after graduating just one year ago. Said headmaster was staring at them with strangely grave blue eyes, their usual twinkle absent and instead filled with concern. Remus grimaced and rolled his shoulders. The full moon was in a few days and Moony was getting restless. The beast clawed and bayed at the barrier separating their minds, causing another wave of pain to spike through his head. Sirius laid an absent hand on his friend's shoulder and rubbed his back.

Considering what they had just spoken of, it was really no surprise that none of them were smiling. Although Lily had just given birth to a healthy baby boy just weeks ago, it seemed he was going to be in for the fight of his life when he was older. Not only was he apparently the child of prophecy, but it was said on the streets that Voldemort was starting to look for the Potter family. His intentions were only all too clear to Sirius, who had immediately cussed in four different languages and knocked over several chairs to articulate his point. Remus, the calm and sarcastic one, had snarled and let his eyes turn gold. That was what had brought Sirius back to the land of the living.

Dumbledore gazed at them sadly. He knew this was going to happen, but all he said was, "Would either of you like a lemon drop?"

Sirius took one and practically shoved it down the lanky boy's throat. Choking, Remus demanded, "What? Siri, what in Merlin's name are you doing? I'm not hungry, you twat!"

Promptly ignoring him, Sirius took another and held it above the moody werewolf's head. "Come on, Remmie! Open up for the Hogwarts Express!" Making interesting chugging sounds, he forced his friend's locked jaws apart and shoved the candy in. Pinching his nose, the werewolf finally gave in and ate it. "There, was that so bad?" he cooed mockingly.

Instead of dignifying the question with a response, Remus focused on getting his stomach to cease churning. He felt sick enough as it was, what with the current topic of conversation and the moon's current state. Settling on glaring daggers at his friend's head, he turned back to the headmaster. Ignoring Sirius was never a particularly brilliant idea, as it led to pranks and pouting later, but he was in an absolutely horrible mood. The ache covering mostly his entire body could attribute for only half of that. The other was, unsurprisingly, Sirius, who had woken him up at precisely one o'clock in the morning screaming for bananas. He'd decided he was better off not knowing.

Sirius continued the conversation. "Well, on that note, I'll do it! Not sure about Moony, though. He's getting closer to his time of the month, if you catch my drift." The last part was said in a loud whisper, which was unneeded since his 'time of the month' gave him extremely acute hearing. Growling under his breath, Remus lightly shoved his friends shoulder. Sirius wailed a dramatic, "I'm melting, I'm melting! Who knew such a…such a…aw, man! How does that line go again?"

Shoulders now shaking quietly in laughter, Remus intoned, "I'm definitely in, professor. If only to keep young Harry safe from this git's influence and 'brilliant ideas'."

Dumbledore finally nodded, though the worry never left his eyes. What they had just volunteered for was the ageless sleep spell, one that had most often led to the wizards put under it to never wake up. The main idea is for whoever it is put over to fall asleep and stay the same age as they were at that exact second in time the spell was wrought until the caster reverses it. Not only was it dangerous to the subjects, but the caster most often ended up dead from the pure magic it took to perform the spell. Dumbledore was afraid that even if he succeeded, the two Marauders would never wake up.

Pushing aside these worries, the headmaster explained, "Now, I thought it best not to bring this to James' attention. There is no doubt in my mind that he would never agree to this, although it was with his best interests at heart. Gentlemen, I leave you two days to prepare yourselves. I am sorry, Remus, but the full moon will have to wait. Minerva believes there isn't enough time."

Swallowing hard, the werewolf nodded. Moony was going to be an absolute fright when he and Sirius come to, but it was going to be well worth it to help the Potters. One could only hope it would work.

And so it was that two days later, just one night before the full moon, Sirius Orion Black and Remus John Lupin became dead to the world. Their friends and classmates mourned them, remembering the days long since past when they had turned Severus' hair a bright fluorescent pink or the grand pranks pulled the first day of every new school year. James, of course, took it the hardest. Lily was unable to console him for weeks after, but then again, no one knew that the two Marauders were lying in wait for the day the child of prophecy should need his Godfathers.

Months later, they were not there to see Voldemort defeated or the boy-that-lived become an orphan. No, Remus and Sirius were both dreaming the dreams of the dead. That is to say, none at all. And all the while, Dumbledore wondered if he had done the right thing.

Harry's fifth year: After Order of the Phoenix

With the help of Minerva, Dumbledore made it unseen back into Hogwarts castle. No longer the headmaster, he felt pity for those students under Umbridge's cruel treatment. The golden trio were certainly stressed from the recent events, so he had finally decided it was time. The extra help would be extremely appreciated. With Remus' mind and Sirius's strength of character, the despairing young Potter would hopefully be able to find some peace. Of course, there was the daunting task of telling the remaining Marauders of James's death. Dumbledore knew it would break both his heart and theirs.

First, though, he had to retrieve Harry, Hermione and Ron from the Gryffindor towers. Merlin, it was a long walk! Sighing, he promptly gave in and apparated into the chamber shared by the boys. Waking them proved to be nigh-on impossible until he simply murmured 'breakfast' into Mr. Weasley's ear. It was simply amazing how much the boy loved food, especially when he jumped up from a dead sleep and tried to put on a robe. Chuckling softly, he called out, "Ronald, I'm quite sure that's no necessary. Breakfast isn't for many hours yet. Wake Harry, if you could, I have something you all need to see."

Five minutes later, Dumbledore was leading three half-asleep teenagers through the halls and straight to the Room of Requirements. Walking three times passed the not-door, it appeared just how he had thought of it if not a little worn. Sighing, he began to speak his mind. "I don't wish to get your hopes up, Harry, because there's a big chance my spell put those boys to their deaths. But I will tell you for the sake of a story. In this room lies Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, your father's dearest friends. After you were born and the prophecy was undoubtedly about you, I asked them to do something for me. In the event that James was killed, Sirius would have taken you, but the gift your mother bestowed on you wouldn't work without true family ties."

Sighing, he continued. "If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have done it. Harry, behind this very door I put them into an ageless sleep in hopes they would help you win the war. Yet it's entirely possible I've left it for too long and they will never wake up. Harry, are you alright?"

The Boy-Who-Lived had turned very pale. Eyes cloudy with tears, he asked, "They did this for me?"

Smiling softly, he murmured, "I believe Remus said something about keeping you away from Sirius's 'good ideas'. Yes, Harry, they did this for you. James was their family, too."

Blinking hard, the brave boy nodded and slowly reached forward to open the door. Inside, the room was dark and dusty, but the remains of brightly colored paint were just able to be seen. Dumbledore stepped towards a small shaft of light and opened a window. Finally, the first light in fifteen years was shed on two sleeping faces. The slightly grinning Sirius was sprawled in a position that could never be called comfortable by anyone but himself, and the pale Remus lying perfectly on his back, golden-amber eyes closed and motionless. Hermione gasped and sped to look at them, seeing the scar on Remus' cheek.

Harry stood in the middle of the room, glancing at the sleepers with confusion and grief. They had lived, but his father hadn't. Turning, he called, "Professor-"

"Hush, dear boy. It's time to wake them and tell them of James's death. I fear it won't be well received."

Concentrating now, Dumbledore chanted in a continuous rhythm, *"Consurge, iamdudum somni tempus transierunt."* At first, it didn't seem to be working and Hermione looked as if she were about to cry. Then Sirius twitched and moved in the sleep, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like 'bananas'. Remus wriggled restlessly, a soft snarl escaping his throat. All at once, Sirius's eyes opened and took in the scene before him. A boy who was obviously Harry with teary eyes, a girl with poofy brown with a look of awe and a Weasley with his mouth slightly open in an unsightly gawk. Grinning goofily, he leaped up and over to Remus and chirped happily, "Rise and shine, Remmie! We've been sleeping for long enough. WAKE UP!" he screamed when there was no reaction.

The squirming boy ended up jumping about a foot in the air, yelping when he hit the floor. A soft moan rose from where he was, and Sirius winces and called over the side of the bed, "You alright, Moony?"

Muffled curses flew back at him and the dark-haired, muscular boy pulled back and stepped closer to Ron. "You must be one of Arthur and Molly's kids. Sirius Bla-" he stopped and fell promptly to the floor after being tackled by the other boy. He was still sickly and pale, but his strength was incredible as he pinned Sirius to the floor and hissed, "I thought we agreed dumping me out of bed was a bad idea, Siri."

Laughing, the boys wrestled under the incredulous and amused eyes of Hermione, Harry, Ron and Albus Dumbledore. _I wonder when they'll notice us, _thought the old headmaster absently. _And I wonder how they'll take the news…_

**And that is why you should read the books before writing for them. I think I'll pick up a few of them when I go back to the library. Until then, I'd appreciate ideas and a plot line for the books after OotP. Chaoi!**

*** Awake, the time for sleep has long since passed**


	2. A Wolf's Strength

**Ooooo-kay, this is going to be a little hard. You all know what Remus' transformation is like, right? Right. Well, I'm going to make it a tad more interesting. It's a bit graphic, what I have in mind but Sirius will be there if it's any consolation. No, it really isn't so this chapter will probably be rated M. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP any more than I own a working wand. Or a Hogwarts letter. Or 'sniffles' Dobby.**

Chapter Two: A Wolf's Strength

Albus Dumbledore knew many things. How to break the Unforgivable curses, calm down an angered Weasley and even tame a Hungarian Horntail. He didn't, however, know how to break it to a man with the loyalty of a Hufflepuff and the heart of a Gryffindor that his best friend for years passed away just months after his supposed death. That says little about the fact that he also had to tell a young werewolf who was about to transform in two days that two-thirds of his pack would never be with him on those painful full moons. Albus just didn't know and for the first time since becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts, he was afraid of what he didn't know. After all, Sirius was known for his protectiveness towards every one of his friends and Remus getting upset before his transformation would only anger him further. _Merlin, he might actually try to kill Voldemort himself!_

Sighing softly as he led the former students into his office, the headmaster found himself asking, "Would you like a lemon drop?"

Sirius opened his mouth to say something but was quickly winded by Remus' elbow appearing to have come into contact with his friend's side. The words turned into a breathy wheeze and instead he hissed, "Easy, mate. At least wait until the full moon to break my bones, or else what will Prongsie have to do?" seeing the sullen look appearing on Remus' face, he added quickly, "S'alright Moony. It didn't even hurt that much. I'm okay." This didn't seem to make him any happier, so Sirius sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Remus relaxed under the contact and finally looked at Dumbledore.

This was the hard part. Even after days of thinking about it, there was no way they were going to accept what he was about to tell them. Absently placing a _muffliato _charm on the room, he said softly, "Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin, I'm afraid there's some tragic news you must hear. Fourteen years ago, six months after Harry's birth, You-Know-Who came for the boy who was prophesied to destroy him. As you saw for yourself just hours ago, Harry is alive and well. James and Lily…they did not make it."

Silence reigned as Remus and Sirius took this in. Varying facial expressions made their grief and confusion plain to see, as always with Sirius showing his heart on his sleeve and Remus with a carefully constructed mask that covered all but his eyes. While the disinherited Black turned to fury at what he thought was a vicious lie, the werewolf slumped in his chair and silently started to whimper. Albus was, however, otherwise occupied with a fire-eyed Sirius screaming, "_You're lying! _James promised he'd keep them safe and Remmie placed the wards all around Godrick's Hollow. We tested them again and again before we started sleeping for cracks and wearing. Where is he, Albus, or I swear t-"

Remus let out a loud howl right in the middle of his infuriated friend's rant. It was full of pain, anguish…he couldn't feel them anymore. Even in human form, the wolf could always know where they were. It felt like there was this great gaping hole where his pack members should have been and it hurt. Sobbing raggedly, he scrambled back into the shadows and hid his face with his hands. Sirius faltered when the realization hit him. If Moony couldn't feel them then maybe…trying not to scream, he fell to his knees beside Remus and tried soothing him every way he could. Sirius pulled him to his chest, stroking his hair and murmuring softly until Remus had exhausted himself and fell into a dark sleep. Swallowing visibly, he whispered shakily, "I-I have to go. Would you show us to our dorm, headmaster?"

Watching the scene was tear-wrenching. Sirius was gripping his friend's back tightly as Remus rested his head against one of his shoulders. Nodding, Dumbledore led them in a grim march to one of the Gryffindor rooms next to Harry's, the only one that was completely empty. Sirius carried his friend all the way there and set him carefully on one of the beds, all the while keeping contact with the grieving werewolf. Knowing that he wasn't needed or wanted, Dumbledore murmured a soft 'goodnight' as he left the two to their silent memorial. They didn't even notice. Sirius slowly placed a silencing spell over the room and wept until he ran out of tears. Then he dragged his bed closer to Remus' and sprawled himself as close as he could without being practically on top of him and fell asleep.

The last two Marauders didn't come down for breakfast that morning. After what he had been told, Harry couldn't believe they were even still in the castle. He and Hermione planned on taking them breakfast as soon as they could drag Ron away from the 'glorious pancakes', which were really rather good unless you had, say, a Godfather who had come down with depression overnight and refused to speak to anyone or even open the door? As it turns out, pancakes aren't the solution to everyday problems to anyone but a certain Weasley. Then again considering the way Ron eats, that's hardly surprising. Seeing as his friend was definitely going to be here a while, Harry groaned and got up to murmur in Hermione's ear, "If they were as close as Dumbledore said then they'll be in the graveyard or their room. Don't bother looking anywhere else."

"Check the map, Harry! Merlin, have you boys learnt nothing?"

Dimly realizing she was right, he gave his friend a hasty goodbye and hurried into the hallway. Checking around, Harry unfolded the Marauder's Map. To his astonishment, he didn't even have to cast the seeking charm on his two Godfathers. They showed up as soon as he said, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good.' In fact, they showed up with the nicknames printed on the map. "Padfoot and Moony," he breathed in awe. Those two were Marauders, so Prongs must be his father. Wormtail, well, that one was obvious. Peter Pettigrew, the traitor that had all but killed his family. "Come on, 'mione. I have the feeling that we're needed."

Actually, they weren't needed so much as they thought. Sirius still didn't open the door and Remus still didn't talk to them. In fact, the werewolf was puking his guts out in the bathroom while Sirius brewed what he hoped was a potion for stomach sickness. After it turned an unsightly shade of yellow, he sighed and gave up. It was supposed to be bright green. Instead, he knelt beside Remus and patted his friend's heaving back sympathetically. Both he and James had taken turns doing this every full moon until there was nothing to throw up. Mainly when he fell asleep from exhaustion and dehydration. After helping him back to bed, Sirius got ready to shake him out of the nightmares that were just as Adjective Use (consider revising) to the werewolf bite as the puking. Poor Remus wasn't going to be eating much for the next day or so and it wasn't exactly fair to stuff himself when his friend couldn't even look at a biscuit.

Remus was pale, as per usual, but he never became this shade before. Practically transparent, his skin tone was often an indicator of how bad the transformation would be. If held true to tradition, this was going to be the worst since his mom died in sixth year. To put it simply, Remus hadn't been the only one to puke that moon cycle. When the werewolf began to whimper and moan, Sirius quickly nudged him with an elbow. This wasn't always the greatest idea and this was proved when a fist barreled straight into one of his bright grey eyes. Muffling a yelp, he clapped a hand over it and glared at the shakily laughing Remus. While it might have been nice to hear his friend laugh at a time like this, did giving him a black eye have to be the reason?

They heard Harry knocking on the door, just chose not to answer it. He looked so much like James but with his mother's flashing green eyes and it was hard to believe they were truly gone. This pain would last them for many years without restraint or until justice was found, by their hands or Harry's. For such great friends who had died such horrible deaths, there couldn't be another possible ending. Everything felt wrong now and the worst part? They knew things would never be the same again. James was Remus' anchor on the full moon, sitting next to Moony before the change was fully finished. Peter was lookout, which is self explanatory. Maybe they would get used to it just being the two of them eventually, but not now. Wounds need time to heal.

Once they knew the Prongslet was gone, Remus looked at Sirius with fever-bright eyes and whispered, "Go get some food, Padfoot. I can hear your stomach growling from here."

Grinning slightly, Sirius replied, "What, an' your's isn't? I'm fine, Moony. You, on the other hand, need to catch up on sleep for the next two days. So get on with it. And don't snore!"

After two days of puking, sweating and bad dreams the big night was finally here. The full moon, bright and daunting to anyone who knew what it signified. A loss of humanity, basically everything that there was to hold on to about themselves and turning into complete wolves. Of course, none of this was running through Sirius' mind as he helped his friend past the Whomping Willow and into the passage leading to the Shrieking Shack. Remus was already moaning in pain two hours before the moon's apex, so it was probably best to get him there early. Once in a while, his breathing hitched and they had to stop and wait for the flash of pain to subside. Sirius worried for the only friend he had left which was completely understandable, considering what he looked like after every transformation. Also, words of advice? Don't watch. The first night they were with him James had to leave about twenty times waiting for the gagging to subside.

Sitting with Remus laid out on four-poster bed, Sirius watched the moon slowly rise higher into the sky. Feeling his friend shudder in a barely suppressed whine, he reached back to touch one of his arms, always keeping the moon in sight. A wave went through the muscle he was rubbing and it made him think just what was causing the early change. Turning around, he whispered in the lowest voice he could manage, " Just one more hour, Moony. Relax a bit."

Watching Remus pant with wild golden eyes made it clear he was going to do no such thing. Instead, he arched hi back and gave a crying yip as the bones cracked. Sirius pushed him back down and laid beside him, allowing him to keep constant contact with the werewolf. It was the closest thing he could get to a hug without causing Remus further pain. When he burrowed further into his shoulder, Sirius smirked just a little. Moony seemed to be calming down enough to let Remus rest even for a second. Frowning suddenly, the dog animagus looked to the moon and cursed under his breath. Twenty minutes. Seeming to get what he was thinking, Remus muttered hoarsely, "You'll need the chains, Siri. Better put them on now."

Looking at the ground, he swallowed and pulled the heavy silver chains down from the attic. It took ten minutes to set them up and it looked like Remus was going to need them soon. Face twisted in pain, he was curled up in a ball on the bed. Still, he got up slowly and helped put on his restraints. None too soon, either. Almost before the last link was in place, the moon hit it's apex. Choking, Remus shoved him out of the way and fell to all fours as his spine shot up with a sickening crack. Sirius quickly shifted to a Grimm-like dog and sat as near as he could, whining in distress as he nosed the tears away from Remus' eyes. He didn't even open them. Screaming at the pain, his nails grew thick and black while fangs bit through his curling lips. Cracks and creaks were the only other sound as his bones shifted into those of a ten-foot werewolf. Sirius could do nothing more than watch and whimper while his friend was in absolute agony.

This transformation was different. It was taking too long. As another undulating ripple spread through the tortured body, Remus opened his golden eyes to look straight at Sirius with a pleading gaze. In return, the animagus crawled closer on it's belly until it was right up against the werewolf. Coughing up blood, Remus' spine shot up again with an agonizing snap before settling again. Ribs shifting and moving, limbs lengthening, he could barely moan before his face started to change as well. Another stronger ripple went through him and the changes became permanent. Now, a full-grown werewolf lay snarling and whimpering as the last cracks resounded in the air. Sirius gazed up at him playfully but was promptly ignored. Instead, Moony howled to the threatening moon and tore into his chest. Yipping desperately, Sirius crawled closer and was instantly hurled against a wall. He could only watch as his best friend mutilated himself.

By the time the sun was rising in the east, the werewolf was reduced to nothing more than a pile of blood and muscle on the floor. Sirius quickly shifted back to human when it became apparent that no harm was to come to him. Grimacing and rolling his aching shoulders, he sprinted over to the softly whining werewolf and stroked it's ears while trying to remember a really strong healing spell. Prodding gently at the wounds, he was shocked when the creature actually rolled closer to him instead of trying to tear him open. Blinking didn't help because it was still there when he opened his eyes. "Well, I'll be a hippogriff's uncle…"

Half an hour later, an all-too-human Remus was being levitated out of the shack with gory scratches and bites nearly covering every square inch of his body. Sirius touched an uninjured part of his arm in an effort to comfort him while all but flying towards Hogwarts. Unconscious, he had no idea that Sirius was crying desperately as he bled out onto the forest floor. Remus couldn't see Madame Pomfrey's horror at what had been done by the creature inside of him. In total, he was blissfully unaware that he had caught the eye of one of the most dangerous fugitives in the wizarding world.

Fenrir Grayback had found him.

**Okay, so it wasn't really rated M. REVIEW anyways, just for the hell of it.**


	3. Haunting, Calling, Crying

**Hey. I might not be writing for a while. My cat just died and I've been crying sporadically all day. Please review to help me feel better. Don't forget, I'm slightly depressed right now so this chapter is going to be killer angst. Don't own HP.**

Chapter Three: Haunting, Calling, Crying

As a general rule, Sirius Black didn't cry. Not when his little brother betrayed him, not when his parents' disowned him and not even when his girlfriend was driven insane the year before graduation. James and Lily were tear-worthy losses and Remus…his last best friend in the world looked like a slab of meat that someone cast the Sectumsempra curse on repeatedly at close range. Tears were pouring down his face in an unstoppable torrent as he heard Madame Pomfrey yelling at her healers in a desperate attempt to save the werewolf's life. Too much blood had been shed in this war and the last for Remus to die from one bright full moon. Sirius knew it could happen, though. Once he had gone to St. Mungo's to visit his sick grandmother and saw the damage some wolves did to themselves when there wasn't anything left to bite at. He didn't want to see that happen to Remus.

Too bad it already had.

Quietly, Sirius got up to lean against the wall. Harry had probably heard by now that one of his father's best friends was bleeding out in the Healing wing. The kid really didn't need to see his godfather crying like an idiot. He had been through enough, from what Sirius had heard from the gossipy Med witches. Winning against a powerful sorcerer like He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was no easy feat, especially for a baby. Come to think of it, the only other person who might have been able to win a battle against the dark lord would have been Godric Gryffindor. He was dead, obviously, so now the fate of the world fell onto the shoulders of a teenage boy who happened to be his godson. There was some serious karma at work here. Perhaps because he had almost killed Snivellus that one full moon? Nah, the universe would thank him for that. One less greasy-haired git walking around.

On that note, there was something about said greasy-haired git that seemed off. Other than the whole I-shall-not-show-any-emotion-but-annoyance-and-speak-in-monotone thing he had going for him. Merlin, if Lily could see what her best friend had degenerated into she'd hex him. _Sirius _would hex him into thinking he could dance ballet if he tried after the Golden Trio just once more. Remus would help, when he woke up. Not if, since it was only a matter of time before the nightmares started again. Hopefully the puking would be bypassed, mainly because it might just kill him in the aftermath of the damage via Moony. Shrugging his shoulder and grimacing at the uncomfortable pull of the dislocated limb, Sirius started pacing around anxiously. The scratches across his back were deep but absolutely nothing compared to what his friend had.

Sure enough, a loud howling started up from behind the door. Naturally, Sirius burst through the door in time to see three young witches trying to calm the writhing and wailing werewolf. They were failing epically. After pushing them to the side with a warning not to try anything before Remus woke up, he bent over and murmured softly, "Rems, wake up. It's just me. Moony, come on. Please!"

The last part got him up. Gasping and shaking, the wails turned into a scream of agony when he tried getting up. Sirius quickly sat next to him and leaned against his shoulder. Pain didn't matter as long as Remus didn't have a panic attack when he realized his pack wasn't there. A piece of it, anyways. Werewolves thrive on contact from their packs and without it many go mad. Part of the reason there weren't many lone wolves around was that they went insane from the mental pressure put on them by the monster. With this in mind, Sirius wriggled his way right next to Remus to wrap a soothing arm around him, flinching at the heat. After a few moments, Remus' breathing started to even out and his forehead dropped to Sirius' shoulder. Soft whimpers were forced from the younger boys' throat at the pain coursing through his body. No tears, though. Never any tears.

There wasn't much Sirius could do while his friend was like this. Usually, the Marauders waited until he had a good nights sleep before even thinking of asking about his dreams. Only once did he ever tell them what had horrified him so and by popular consensus and two panic attacks, agreed never to speak of it again. Let it be known that Remus wasn't the only one to wake up screaming that week. There wasn't much good that came into Remus Lupin's life in those days except for Hogwarts, minus the horrifying dreams that aren't to be spoken of. His father had left soon after he'd been bitten and his mother had died of a Muggle disease in the middle of sixth year. It was safe to say that his friend had his share of hard times, probably more than even Harry. Sleep was a difficult thing for the both of them on nights when past demons came back to haunt them and it was likely his godson had his own unholy followers, but nothing could be held against a teenager that reminded him greatly of himself.

Thinking about it while absently wriggling a little closer to Remus, Sirius saw that he and Harry had extremely similar lives. While Walburga Black had regretted him being born and showed him off like a prized Pomeranian in social circles, Harry had lived _under a staircase _being hidden from the world. At least that way no one had the right to criticize him except his aunt and uncle, which apparently they did often. Then again, he had been starved…all in all, life's a bitch and then you die. That was it, that was all and there was no point in crying when it happened because it isn't fair. Crying about it would only drive a person mad if he dwelt upon it. Just like his great-grandfather Corvus Black after great-grandma died. Looking after the man was like picking up a Snaggletooth Viper with mouse meat on your fingers. It just wasn't allowed to happen.

Finally, Remus felt calm enough to close his eyes and stop trying to burrow through Sirius's shoulder to get to China. He simply breathed until the pain was under control. Conveniently enough, Harry chose to burst into the room just after the two of them had themselves composed enough to speak. He didn't look as happy as Sirius had thought he would that Remus was still alive. All at once, he realized what was going through the boy's mind. _If Remus survived an attack like this then he should have been with James. _Sirius nearly groaned at the thought of yet another issue in the lives of the Marauders. Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant. Now he had to deal with a broken and bleeding werewolf as well as an angst-ridden teenager. And to think he'd nearly killed Snivellus for the universe that just about had him screwed! The nerve of some places…

Unfortunately, he now had to decide which problem to take care of first. The angst-ridden teenager or his werewolf best friend who nearly bled out three hours ago. Decisions, decisions. In the end, Remus fell asleep too quickly for him to make the easy choice so he was stuck trying to comfort Harry. Sirius barely resisted the urge to scream and run away like a little first year and instead took a deep breath. Then another. And another. Five minutes later, he was practically meditating and Harry looked very amused. Madame Pomfrey might have looked like she was about to call the psych ward at St. Mungo's but she knew him too well and decided it was better left unknown. The universe seemed to be smiling on him at the moment because his godson took the chair beside Remus' bed and asked, "What happened to him? And why are you doing…whatever that is?"

"It's called meditation, Harry. I'm doing it because I have reached my stress quota for the day and bludger me if I turn into my bloody mother!…and I didn't realize five minutes have passed. Sorry, mate. Whadja need?" Spouted Sirius in an effort to distract him from the obvious point of no return. By that he meant the word of half-beasts, which is never a good world to be in. Especially if you were one. Discrimination, potential dark lord bait and the small fact that you either eat your classmates or yourself. Wincing imperceptibly, he whispered to himself, "Bad thoughts, mate. Keep them to yourself." This would be the part where his godson minded his own business but instead, between his worried and slightly angered looks at Remus, Harry was giving him the patented James Potter no-nonsense face. One that promised retaliation for any lie that felt like a slight of his mental capacity. (Which, if you ask some people, was nigh on nonexistent.)

Nonetheless, Sirius contained the witty remark and replied, "Oh, that's easy, Prongslet. Remmie here is universally hated by Hippogriffs and dogs everywhere. If there's a beast within a few miles, it'll have a little taste of my poor unfortunate mate. Just never tell him I said that." Actually, this was nearer to the truth than he had planned to go. Dogs _did_ absolutely hate Remus for smelling of werewolf and instinctively tried ripping his face off. Which was a source of much laughter until one of said dogs just missed biting Sirius in a very sensitive spot after getting just a tad overexcited. Needless to say, they had stopped laughing at their friend's plight and kept as far away from dogs as possible. The irony is that Sirius himself had a great black dog as his patronus and it loved Remus like a brother. Wonder how that worked out…

Hermione, who had just gotten into the room, gasped lightly at the sight of Remus' broken and bandaged body then frowned slightly in confusion. Sirius was sitting cross-legged on the bed beside him looking absolutely intoxicated. There was a slight smile on his face and a glassy look to his eyes. Eyes shrewdly narrowed, she quickly pointed out that despite being nearly a foot away on the big bed, one of the man's hands crept to his injured friend's shoulder. Even stranger was the fact that although his hand was covering a bandage there wasn't any pain on Remus' face. In fact, he was perfectly relaxed even as one of the med witches started changing the bandages surrounding a bloody upper leg. No one, not even a best friend could keep someone calm enough to not even flinch while being moved around like this. Something was off.

And she intended to find out.

Sirius caught the glitter in her eyes and couldn't help but compare the brilliant young witch to Lily, the woman both he and James had loved. Not that he had ever told his friend that tiny fact. Hermione reminded him of the dead woman solving a particularly difficult Transfiguration question, with a sly gleam brightening her emerald eyes. Only this girl had chocolate brown orbs and a mass of auburn curls as opposed to flaming red waves. Still, there were some definite similarities. Aaaand…he had stared at her for long enough. Hermione was starting to look around the room and trying not to meet his eyes. Blinking out of his daze, Sirius asked, "Um, is this a meetin' of the minds or something? If it is, I'm not supposed to be here."

There it was. The tiniest hint of a smile stayed on her face for a few seconds before disappearing behind a carefully schooled mask of indifference. Not. She kept her heart right on her sleeve. Like Lily. _No, no, bad Sirius. No thinking about Lily!_ This was one of many breaking points that would hopefully never surface again, or at least where there was someone who reminded him of-_No. Can't think about her._ It was either convenience or really good timing that as soon as he started looking for a distraction, Remus' eyes shot open. He looked slightly panicked and it was an easy thing to tell exactly what was happening. Hastily shoving the two teenagers out of the room, at the same time, his wand shot into his hand as he muttered strongly, "_Accio _trashbin!"

Almost before he had shut and locked the door, Remus was choking up his own blood. Whatever he had drunk as a werewolf immediately forced it's way up with gut-clenching heaves that shook his frail body and made him shiver. Sirius sat behind him with the werewolf's back pressed up against his chest as he held his friend up. Remus was always weak after the moon went down for another twenty-eight days and today was no exception. Sighing, he rubbed between his friend's shoulder blades in a motion made both to comfort and make sure the blood didn't clog up his throat. After a few minutes, he was simply surprised at how much blood Moony had drunk. It was a wonder the beast could still have craved for human flesh after all that…

Remembering how Moony had actually crawled closer to him before the sun showed it's face made him wonder if it was possible for werewolves to be tamed. _I bet no one's ever tried before,_ thought Sirius with a hint of disgust. Almost all of the Wizarding world considered half-beasts to be less than a speck of dirt on their shoes. They hated and reviled them, nearing racism like in the Muggle world only most of them thought they had good reasons. If all of those bigots saw how Remus locked himself up during those nights, how careful he was not to change anyone the way he was, they would either be amazed or horrified. The scars covering nearly every part of his body were proof of just how much werewolves despised themselves, even more than most wizards. The beast hated the human and the human both feared and hated the beast. It was a lose-lose situation all around, especially for the ones who had to watch the slow degradation of the half-beast's mental health.

This had always been the Marauder's main priority. Born under the full moon, they had worked for years to be able to become Animagi and be able to stay with Remus to make the transformation easier. They had tried their hardest to make sure their friend stayed the way he was, instead of killed by the Werewolf Response unit or sentenced to Azkaban just because a normal cell in St. Mungo's wasn't secure enough. By all intents and purposes, their idea had worked though not without a few scars of their own. Remus was partially tame and there weren't as many incidents involving James' flank and a set of teeth even though it was the Buck Anamagi who started it. As it turns out, werewolves don't particularly enjoy having antlers stuck into their eyes. When that happened, Remus was usually the one who felt the worst.

Finally, after all of the blood had come up and the heaving relaxed, Sirius glanced at the bucket and frowned. What the hell was he going to do with a gallon of werewolf blood?

Creeping silently around the castle far away from the giant groundkeeper's hut, glowing golden eyes watched in amusement as the dog snuffled and howled, trying to get close enough to tear into him. Barking a laugh, Fenrir Greyback threw back his head and gave a mocking howl. The boy that he had changed over twenty years ago didn't answer his call. Of course he didn't, the boy was a weak minded fool! To even consider the possibility that what had been given to him was a curse was just beyond stupidity. It was a gift, to never be in danger and never be alone with yourself. Being stronger, faster and all over more superior to any wizard alive. Why would this mere pup take this for granted? He would never realize how good it felt to let the wolf take over until it finally happened. Fenrir planned to make that sooner rather than later. After all, his entire pack was either too young, too old or too mad for even him to control. With this youngling as a beta, the possibilities were endless.

But first, he had to find a way in.

After seeing first-hand just how sure a shot the groundskeeper was with that crossbow, he had decided that it wasn't going to happen unless he decided to lose an eye. A crippled werewolf was of no use to the Dark Lord, about as deadly as a squib since the beautiful killer beneath his skin would mourn the loss of it's freedom for the rest of their lives. No, _he _needed them to come to _him._ He had no plan just yet but he would think of one. Something to bring the bloodthirsty killer in the putty boy roaring to the forefront. Wolfsbane was too easily detected by scent and silver would probably just kill him. After all, if this plan didn't work once he came up with it, Greyback wanted that pleasure all to himself. He couldn't have a rival who had even the slightest chance of being able to take over as alpha. Slowly, a plan came to mind that made a cruel smile twist his features.

If he couldn't get to the pup, he would get to his friends.

**Oooooh, he is EEEEEvil. So, who do you think he should go after? Sirius, Hermione, Ron, Maybe one of the Phoenix members? REVIEW!**


	4. Healing

**H'lo again! I still haven't read the order of the phoenix or the book that comes after it, so you're all going to have to deal with my shitty free-writing. It doesn't have a plot or anything else that makes up a story, it just…is. Merlin, I need to plan a trip to the library!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned HP, don't you think this whole thing would at least have a plot?**

Chapter Four: Healing

Amazingly, there are some rare potions that require werewolf's blood as an ingredient. They never said it had to be pure, so thrown up half-beast blood appears to be just as good. The man Sirius sold it to said that the last person he'd had bleed a wolf diluted the precious blood too much. One would guess it was with his own. He'd hexed the shady merchant and gotten on with his life. Just the way it had been said made him think of a hunter sticking Remus in the throat with an enchanted knife holding a tub under the flow while cackling insanely. Yeah. He had enough problems as is without something like that haunting him the rest of his life. Other than that, the blood gave him enough gold to buy a small house or two. Sirius wasn't exactly happy with this, since there was a black market for the stuff and that usually meant tons of people willing to die just to get it. He might have to mention this to Dumbledore when he got back…

And so it was that he made his way back to the med wing of the infirmary with heavy pockets and a vicious mood. Whoever thought being rich again would feel so dirty? Sighing heavily, he jingled the coins absently and wondered abruptly what would happen if anyone found out. Not about the blood, but Moony. What if someone knew the secret of the willow and somehow managed to open it one full moon? There was no guarantee that whoever figured it out would live long enough to reveal it, what with Sirius only being a one man support team for a werewolf that didn't know he was there last time. Shuddering, he could only imagine how strict the law on half-beasts was right now because of their alliance to Voldemort. It was like a stereotype since not every half-beast or creepy-crawly was evil. Merlin, when Lily found out about Remus' 'furry little problem', she'd said it was impossible to tell unless you saw the scars.

The scars…

Speaking of which, there were going to be some new ones when his friend finally healed. It had only been a couple of days and already Madam Pomfrey was sure there would be no lasting damage to the torn tendons and muscles. They were cursed bites so the wounds would never fade, just slowly close up with the itching of a hundred Snufflybugs. Merlin, it was going to be a _loooooong _healing process. At least he had the chance to heal. Opening the door to the private bedroom Madam Pomfrey kept especially for Remus, Sirius dumped the gold on the medi-witch's desk and decided to forget about it entirely. He was usually pretty good at forgetting things. Especially if those things involved work or school. Remus was good at remembering things, not him and especially not…James.

The taste of iron in his mouth told Sirius he'd just bitten through his lip. The pain centered him in the present, which was to look straight into Madam Pomfrey's eyes and tell her just how he'd come across friend. At a full moon, no less. Barely holding back a snort, he deadpanned, _This is going to go smashingly. 'Yes, Madam. You see, my friends and I are, or were, illegal animagi who sat with Remus every full moon and played ding-dong ditch in Hogsmeade after midnight. But don't worry, Moony hasn't even come close to dismembering us. Well, there was that one time in the spring. And a few times in the winter…_Oh yes, that would go over just as well as the time he lost a bet and had to run starkers through the common room. His eye twitched in the memory of professor McGonagall's face that day.

The only reason the medi-witch hadn't asked this by now was because of Remus and Harry. The werewolf had faked several ailments that she attended to immediately while mini-Prongs and his friends hung around asking questions about the seventies. Honestly, just ask a picture hanging up in the hall! They'd be more than happy to tell the tale of the Marauders. It had apparently been a mentally scarring period of time for many of them, especially his dear old great granddad. Although how he ever became a headmaster was much beyond Sirius, since he was quite fond of the drink and two of the three Unforgivable curses. Maybe that was the reason his grammie was only partially in her right mind.

A right bastard if there ever was one.

Pomfrey was still ranting. These thoughts were going absolutely nowhere fast and he was starting to get bored. Remus, now awake and partially aware, caught the look on Sirius' face and widened his eyes in horror. After looking around wildly for something that might possibly avert the coming disaster, he transfigured the water glass he was holding into a rubber ball and chucked it across the room. Sirius, still glassy eyed, automatically started chasing after the ball with a gleeful squeal that sounded like it should have come from a three year old girl instead of a full grown wizard. It was sad. Raising his eyebrows at the returning dog animagus, Remus caught the ball when it was tossed to him and explained to Harry, "Siri was getting bored. Bad things happen to people when he gets bored. Siri also has a penchant for chasing things. It comes in handy when teachers are ranting." Turning to Madam Pomfrey, he stammered, "N-not that you were on a tirade, Madam. Padfoot just has the attention span of a toddler." Hearing the unimpressed growl from his friend, he decided promptly to quit while he was ahead and sulk.

He could never win with these people.

Sirius and Remus started a game of catch while Madam Pomfrey just stood there and blinked in confusion. _Did that boy just chase after a ball?_ Shaking her head and deciding she definitely didn't want to know, she left the room and silently vowed never to bring up the subject again. As long as they got out of her ward and didn't come back until next month, there was no reason to bring this problem to the attention on the new headmistress. Scratch that, _no _problem was great enough to bring to the attention of the new headmistress. The woman was a loon, for sure. The very idea of what she could do to these poor children was unthinkable! Shaking her head, Poppy Pomfrey resigned herself to the fact that nothing was going to change and even if it did, there was no guarantee it was going to be for the better. If whatever these boys where keeping secret from her could possibly keep them safe, it was up to them to look after each other. She knew they would. There was this feeling in the pit of her stomach that just cried out about something terrible coming their way. And Madam Poppy Pomfrey was hardly ever wrong.

The last two Marauders had given up on playing catch after Sirius 'accidentally' tossed the ball out the window onto the conveniently placed potions master after turning it into a water balloon filled with Merlin knew what. Figuring it was probably better off staying unknown from the all-too-familiar screams, Remus was finally able to leave the hospital wing after being assessed by one of the junior healers. Sirius was bouncing around anxiously and looking for all the world like a hungry puppy begging for food. Rolling his eyes at the look on his friends face, the werewolf stated, "Sirius. We aren't going to make a Professor believe he can dance ballet, no matter how much of a git he is. Everyone will know it's us and we need to come up with something grand as an opener. Any ideas?"

He quickly regretted ever bringing up the subject. Yes, Sirius was dead quiet as he put on his thinking face and walked down the hall, but what he was thinking about could range anywhere from pranks to pudding. When the sudden grin lit up Sirius' face, he hoped to god it was pudding. It wasn't. "What's say we pay a little visit to Minnie? You know she missed her favorite students! Please, Remmie? Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, ple-"

"_Alright,_ Siri. We'll go visit Professor McGonagall. Just shut up and keep walking or we'll be late for lunch. Merlin's left nut! We _are _late for lunch!"

That got him moving. Shrieking in horror and earning many incredulous looks from the moderately sane people wandering the halls, Sirius raced off faster than any Seeker to get to his favorite meal. There was definitely going to be some mental scarring. Poor students. The way Sirius ate was less chewing and more inhaling anything he could get his grubby little mitts on. It had scarred _him _for life, so that kind of brings up a very important question.

_Why am I still friends with him?_

It was a question left unsolved by the masses of people who tried to figure out just how Remus fit in with the Marauders. They were rude, he was polite. They were obnoxious, while according to Lily he was 'shy' and 'sweeter than honey'. Not to mention that James walked in his sleep, Sirius spoke in his sleep and Peter…snored. Like a bloody fog horn. It was shocking he hadn't strangled them all in their sleep. _I should have, _Remus mused. _Would've caused a lot less harm to everyone if I had. Especially Snape. And Lily._ Point is, nobody knew that Remus was the mastermind and voice of reason for the Marauders. Whenever Sirius came up with a plan that sounded either illegal or could cause him to be sent to Azkaban for murder, he was the one to smack him on the back of the head and scold them. Remus was also the one finding the best spells to cast on poor unsuspecting Slytherins and first years. Yet the young werewolf wasn't just the brains of the Marauders. Oh, no.

He was the reason for its existence.

Words left unspoken should stay that way, though. As long as his secret was kept and professors thought of them only as misbehaved children instead of lawbreaking adults, there was no chance of discovery. Or Azkaban. Plus, Remus felt quite bad for the rest of his classmates whether they be alive or not for what he couldn't stop. Even if it was very amusing to see them dripping in some strange combination of Mayonnaise and Flubberworms. It was an unfortunate mishap that the person had been a DADA professor with a very short temper and a tendency to overreact. The point is, the Marauders were born beneath the full moon and, ironically enough, died under the full moon. It was all for him.

The memories were pleasant enough but they brought with them the unpleasant taste of grief. Swallowing the lump in his throat was hard enough without the added pressure keeping it there. Deciding to leave the past alone, Remus strode quickly into the great hall and avoided the flying food.

Sadly, it was all from Sirius.

**Somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, Cavern**

No one stirred as Greyback paced the rough floors of the cave. His pack just watched silently and apprehensively as the muttering became more and more frenzied, the steps angrier and more frantic. They were afraid, as all sensible beings should be, of the plans their alpha was making. It didn't truly matter, they reasoned, as long as they got fresh meat out of it. Living on leftover deer carcasses and carrion wasn't the best way to keep a steady constitution or a happy pack. Fenrir knew he was losing them almost as quickly as he could recruit them and it couldn't be helped. He couldn't be everywhere at once, so hunting and foraging was out since he didn't trust any one of them as far as he could throw a Norwegian Ridgeback.

What the pack needed was a second in command, a beta, of you will, to control either the hunting wolves or the pack at any given time. All of these worthless idiots were too young or too mad for the job, too gentle or too rough. Yet he knew that with the proper enticement the pup he had changed over two centuries ago would be the perfect fit. If not, the scent of fresh kill might make him give in just enough for the wolf to assert itself as dominant. Absently wishing for just the smallest bite of tender child flesh, Greyback made up his mind. The pup was his by right. He would simply take him.

After all, who would try to stop him?

**So, my grandmother died last Monday. I might be posting more or less, not sure yet. Started writing this chapter like, a month ago and just came around to finishing it. No HP books have been read yet, so…yeah. That's it, really. Have a nice rest of March Break!**


	5. Summer Brings Insanity

**M'kays. So I'm finally back and just as ignorant as ever. That's right, people! I still haven't gotten my lazy a# to the library to read Harry Potter. Therefore, inform me of any horrific transfigurations in the plot which is going to be set over the summer break. All I can say is, poor Remus!**

Chapter Five: Summer Brings Insanity

"Just think, Remy! We're back at Hogwarts for the _entire _summer. We can introduce Peeves to water balloons again! Or, or play Quidditch at one in the morning, or steal food from the kitchens or visit our old haunts and even run starkers through the teacher's quarters! Go into the Forbidden Forest and visit the spider or the Centaurs…Ooooooh, we can ride a Unicorn! Or maybe a Thestral. Wait, I can't see those…never mind. Hey, could we visit Hermione now? How bout Ron? No, no you're right. We should visit Harry! I should definitely spend some time with him. We'll make him into a real Marauder before long, a regular mischief maker! Remy….Remy, I'm bored. What can we do?"

Remus was trying so, _so _hard not to give into the urge to beat his friend senseless and instead let a small tic develop in his cheek. Sirius was driving him _absolutely LOONY!_ Not for a second in the three days since all the students left had he been calm enough to read, write or even eat for fear of combustion. It had gotten to the point that in the rare times Sirius wasn't with him, he was as paranoid as Mad Eye. Constant vigilance took on a whole new persona when the eldest Black was involved. Sweet Merlin, maybe Peeves had been right to run away screaming at the sight of them! That's when you know it's bad…

Snapping back to the horrible reality, Remus caught the finger poking repeatedly at his side and said sternly, "Well, Siri, _I _am going to sit in the library and read a book while you sit in the corner and think about what we should do. Keep in mind that it can't involve running in terror, cursing whoever was unfortunate enough to be left here, dragging me to some god forbidden part of this bloody castle or visiting the Dementors in Azkaban. Also, no way in hell are we going to storm Lord Voldemort's headquarters. Now, any suggestions?"

It was almost predictable that after that little outline Sirius had no idea what he was going to do and after a second or two of gaping, slunk off to sit in his designated corner. It was rather a pitiful sight and Madam Pince must have thought so, too, because she tossed him a box of muggle crackers that were devoured in seconds. In the end, Sirius looked satisfied, Remus was annoyed and the poor librarian was shell-shocked. It was almost laughable if it didn't happen every day since third year. It was almost habit. Remus goes into library. Sirius and James follow him into said library. Within minutes, each of them are sent like naughty puppies to different corners of the room and told to entertain themselves. Someone tosses them food and becomes permanently scarred.

After three books, Remus finally took pity on his friend and dragged him outside into the balmy breeze. It was an instant change. Instead of moping, Sirius was flitting around and dancing in a manner reminiscent of classical Ballet yet somehow managing to look like a puppy in the springtime. The sweat making trails down his face and wetting his robes in the back wasn't exactly paradise for Remus to watch either, so he sat with his back against a tree to watch his friend and make sure he didn't die of heatstroke. A flash of pale blond caught his eye, reminding him that Harry's enemy Draco had remained at school.

However, he didn't much look like an enemy right now.

There were tears barely held back by his pale lashes as he read and re-read a letter over and over again. Lucius Malfoy's only son and heir looked so close to bawling his eyes out that Remus couldn't help but remember the time he'd caught the boy's father doing the same. It was only when he shifted a sleeve up that Remus could see the scars criss-crossing into a pattern that was all too familiar. Sirius had a small one on his leg that marked him as a pureblood. It was a cruel thing to do to a child but, as Remus reflected and Draco stretched, it was a whole other level of abuse when the kid's parents used the sign repeatedly.

There were markings all over his torso. Some overlapped in the same sharp pattern and some barely made themselves visible on the pale white skin. He noticed there were two patterns and although most, if not all of them, were the same there was also one overtop of his heart that was the twin of Sirius's. That of a Black's eldest child and heir. _So, _Remus mused, _He is either Narcissa's son or Bellatrix's. But the witch bitch wouldn't let Malfoy touch her child. She'd torture him herself. So, Narcissa has become a Malfoy._

He turned to tell Sirius and by the look on his face, he'd already seen the markings and finished comparing them to his own. Before he could open his mouth to ask, he interjected, "Narcissa. It has to be. He'd have darker hair if it was Bella. I also doubt he'd be alive if she was his mother."

Sirius nodded and didn't take his eyes off of his second cousin. There was a familiarity in his eyes that brought back memories of the first day of school after he'd gotten the mark, bawling his eyes out and snuggling between James and Remus as they comforted him. Shivering at the memory, Sirius silently walked up to him and slipped the letter out of his pocket. Ignoring a shout and a very accurate stinging hex, he read the letter and turned to him with a look of pity. Seeing this, the young Malfoy turned grey and simply gave up, falling back against a tree. Nodding slightly, he stated, "So you are Sirius. The way my mother goes on about you makes me think you'd be a tad…cleaner."

Indeed, Sirius wasn't exactly at the peak of personal hygiene at the moment. Not to mention the sweaty cloak hanging loosely from one shoulder, the hair that blew oh-so-majestically into his mouth every once in a while and the smell of his breath that was a clear indicator of having yet again lost his toothbrush. None of this took away from the look of awe on his face when he completely ignored the jibe and went straight for the boy's arm. After pulling up the sleeve and examining the incredibly beautiful marking made grotesque by the fact that they must have hurt like a bitch, he exclaimed, "You have even more than I do! What in the name of Merlin's fuzzy slippers did you do to get Malfoy that pissed off?…wait. Don't answer that. I'm guessing it's for associating with people below the old Pureblooded lines. That's what I got most of mine for."

Remus was a little bit lost. Sirius had more than just the one scar? Draco Malfoy was being punished for being a Muggle lover? And more importantly in Remus' mind, _Merlin's fuzzy slippers?_ If he hadn't already known his friend was a whole lot less than right in the head, he would have had him committed for that sentence alone. However, first and foremost was the fact that maybe Draco didn't want to be Voldemort's right hand like his father and aunt. It was entirely possible that he was being threatened or even abused to keep the Malfoy name pure and sparkling silver. If that was the case, more power to the kid if he kept on trying to break the mold since by the looks of it, he'd been failing miserably for years. There was still a chance for him, a tiny spark of hope that once his little rebellion was encouraged he would go the same way Sirius did when he was sixteen.

Another thought demanded his attention that nearly toppled him over. Were all Slytherin children this way? Instead of a house for all the slimy, rotten, evil-minded children in the Wizarding world was it even remotely conceivable for it to be a house for misfits? Children who had gone so long without feeling their rich parent's love that it was almost a myth for them, who couldn't remember the last time they had cried without the fear of being slapped and punished with more painful means. Children who felt like they were alone and looking out from their high windows in a mansion far too large and wondering why they couldn't be normal, or why other kids didn't have a father who screamed and shouted after every success as if it were a failure.

It brought everything into a whole new light for Remus and he missed most of the hero-worshipping conversation because of it. Slytherins weren't cowards like he had thought when he was a child and indeed, five minutes ago. They were now simply people who had nowhere else to go and not a single person to turn too who wouldn't send them right back for the beating of their life. Draco managed to catch his eye and he felt a curious poke at the corner of his mind. Ah, so he was trained in legitimacy. Probably by his mother, who wasn't really all that bad and was rather sweet when Bellatrix could be dragged away from her. The woman had kept such a close eye on her youngest sister, it was a surprise she didn't just sit on her and be done with it.

Biting his lip, Remus sent a loud thought to Draco only to see him nod. The pressure in the back of his mind vanished and the boy mouthed, 'Got it in one'. He was good. Very good. He had to be since he was still speaking and responding to Sirius's ridiculous questions with even more absurd answers. Irrelevant things such as his favorite color, which turned out to be blue, and his childhood stuffed toy, a white Thestral named Neve. _Snow. _It really wouldn't have been imaginative if it hadn't been translated into Gaelic. Remus himself could speak three languages fluently. English, French and Welsh. Sirius, like all good Black heirs, could speak at least six and James had been able to speak over eight of them. As far as he knew, Peter and Lily had only been able to speak English.

Draco was patient but it was clear to Remus, who had once again come out of his daze, that Sirius was greatly testing it and all but dancing on the fine line between annoyance and death. So what did he do? Sighing and reaching into his pockets, Remus called, "Siri! I have the keys to the broom shed if you want to fly."

"_Fly?_ Who wants to fly around on a lovely" _It was starting to rain, _"day like this? It's perfect Quidditch weather, don't you know? Oooooohh, is that a thunder cloud? Come on, Remy! I want to see if giants really make the thunder by clashing their cymbals!"

Never mind the fact that he had tried once before and nearly become less than bacon, it was the fact that he even remembered the old story Remus had told him that made him snicker. That had been a good day. James had ventured into the library to stalk his precious tiger-Lily and gotten lost, Sirius went on a date with some pretty girl he didn't even know and Peter had decided he was hungry and left to the kitchen to eat. For_ hours! _None of them had thought to leave a note for poor Remus so as he thought about venturing into the Forbidden Forest to look for them, imagine his surprise when all three come up behind him and bring him to the floor in a three-way tackle. That was his little payback for the bruised knee he had received that day.

Dragging Sirius through the big doors, Remus couldn't help but wonder if the old days were really over. Fate definitely had more in store for the Marauders duo.

**Gaaaaa! Soooooo long! Not the chapter, the time it took to get the nerve to update. It is official-I now pronounce 2012 as the year of tragedy. No words are needed to explain.**


End file.
